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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPN_Segale_Upper_Balch_ Project_Narrative_260604_v1Project Narrative & Rezone Justification Upper Balch Pit Rezone Request: Segale Properties LLC (applicant ) requests a rezone of the subject property (Parcel #1623059059) located at 301 Monroe Ave NE from Residential-10 (“R-10”) to Residential-14 (“R-14”). No speciflc development proposal is included with this application. The applicant is providing conceptual project plans to allow the City to more fully address their approval criteria, but these plans do not represent a formal development plan submittal. The applicant is also requesting that the need for an additional 17-foot dedication of property associated with a future widening of Monroe Avenue NE be waived. The need for the 17-foot dedication is associated with Monroe Avenue NE classiflcation as a minor collector street. Monroe Avenue NE, south of Ne 4th street, provides access to the site, cemetery, and city and county offlces/facilities located immediately south of the site. Monroe Avenue NE operates as a minor collector street north of 4th avenue but not south of 4th Avenue. Monroe Ave NE does not connect through to any other street south of 4th Avenue and essentially functions as an “in and out” access to the area. No connection to other streets is possible due to topography restrictions or existing development. Circulation around the subject site is provided through connections to private streets (Jefferson Ave NE and NE 2nd). Trafflc levels on Monroe Avenue NE, south of 4th avenue, do not justify the need for an additional center lane, which is the motivation for the 17-foot-wide dedication. Site Description: T he site area totals approximately 629,006 square feet (14.44 acres). The site is currently zoned Residential-10 (R-10) and carries the Residential High Density (RHD) Comprehensive Plan Land Use Designation. The site is a former gravel pit with an active flll permit LUA18- 000703. The site is undeveloped with exception of a recently constructed City of Renton storm water inflltration facility which is located within an easement on the parcel associated with the powerline easement which crosses the northwest corner of the site. This facility was designed and constructed through an easement agreement between Segale and the City of Renton. The storm water facility was sized, designed, and constructed to receive storm water run-off from the subject site once the pit is fllled and a project moves ahead. The easement agreement also Project Narrative & Rezone Justification allows the eventual development to use the surface of the stormwater facility for open space and active recreation. No critical areas are associated with this site. Trees are limited to the surrounding site perimeter, and an associated tree removal plan is included in the active flll permit. According to City of Renton (COR) Maps, the site is mapped with protected and sensitive slopes. These slopes are the steep slopes of the gravel pit excavation and will disappear as the pit is fllled to its permitted elevation. Approval Criteria: Response to RMC 4-9-180F.2 Criteria The city may approve or approve with conditions an application for a rezone if the following criteria are satisfied: a) The rezone has merit and value to the community and will not adversely affect public health, safety, and welfare The Cities Comprehensive Plan designated the subject site as Residential High Density (RHD) which contains both the R-10 current zone and proposed R-14 zone. The zone change, if approved, will allow for a slight increase in density on-site. Housing product types in each zone are similar. The applicants’ conceptual plan shows a potential townhouse project of 179 units. The increase in number of units over 144, the max density allowed under R-10, helps the development community deliver more housing and for potentially lower cost, which speaks to the city’s goals for housing provision and affordability. The proposed rezone, and resultant density increase, is in an area with existing transit service (NE 4th avenue) and in close proximity to commercial areas. It’s also located nearby Renton Technical College and the major employers of Boeing, The Landing, Paccar and Kenworth truck manufacturing to name a few. The subject property is served by existing transportation facilities, utilities, and emergency services. The site is a good location for considering additional housing density. Any future development will be required to comply with applicable City standards related to access, stormwater management, setbacks, and building height, ensuring that public health, safety, and welfare are protected and will be promoted, not adversely affected. Project Narrative & Rezone Justification b) The rezone will not be materially detrimental to uses and properties in the immediate vicinity thereof: The proposed rezone site is surrounded by existing development. To the north is CA zoned commercial uses located along NE 4th Avenue including the Chevron/McDonalds, a body shop, U-Haul, and tire store. To the east is the R8 zoned cemetery. To the south and west there is a mix of City of Renton and King County offlces and maintenance facilities including the transfer station. The rezone will add up to 56 additional residential units on the subject site. The current zone allows for 144 units. Most of the surrounding uses are closed and inactive in the evening and weekends. Evenings and weekends are when most of the future residents of a project at the subject property would be on-site and the potential for impacts from noise, trafflc, etc. may be higher. During the day, when surrounding uses are fllled with city and county employees, assumably many of the residents of this future project would be at work, school, or otherwise not necessarily at home. Given this relationship, there seems to be little opportunity for issues/confiicts to arise between the subject property future use and surrounding uses, especially to a level that would be determined to be materially detrimental. The potential increase in trafflc is perhaps the greatest impact to consider. Up to 56 additional units could generate up to 392 daily trips using a 24-trip generation rate of 7 daily trips per unit. The PM peak hour percentage of these trips would equate to approximately 10% of daily trips or and additional in and out PM peak hour trip count of 39.2 trips at the intersection of Monroe Avenue NE and NE 4th Avenue, a currently signalized intersection. These 39 trips in and out at that intersection would be spread over the 2-hour-long PM peak hour period and add less than 20 trips/turning movements per hour at that intersection. Thus, there is a potential trafflc impact associated with the rezone request, but adding such a low volume of trips to a signalized intersection of a major and minor collector status roadways is not materially detrimental to any surrounding use. Trafflc impacts, if they do occur, can be adequately mitigated through signal timing changes. Given the above, the zone change to R-14 will not be materially detrimental to surrounding properties. Future development under the R-14 zone will be subject to Renton Municipal Code standards which govern lot coverage, building height, setbacks, landscaping, and Project Narrative & Rezone Justification parking. These standards ensure that future development will remain compatible with area residential, commercial and institutional uses and minimize potential impacts related to privacy, noise, and trafflc. c) Since the original zoning or most recent rezone of the subject property, conditions affecting the subject property have substantially changed as a result of, but not limited to, public improvements or permitted private development conditions since original zoning or most recent rezone Since the original R-10 zoning designation, conditions affecting the subject property have evolved, the pit is being fllled, continued residential, commercial and institutional development in the surrounding area, increased demand for housing and affordability in the region, and on-going use of existing public infrastructure. Renton’s Comprehensive Plan emphasizes accommodating growth within established urban areas rather than expanding development outward. Upzoning this property supports that Comprehensive Plan goal. The City also developed, with permission and cooperation of the applicant, a new stormwater inflltration area located within an easement in the northwest corner of the property. This facility was sized and designed to accommodate this site’s future stormwater generation as well as creating an opportunity for a large private park within the easement area, which will provide abundant recreation space for future residential development, thus supporting the request for higher density residential development. The subject property’s location within an area containing a mix of residential, commercial, and institutional uses, along with its access to existing infrastructure, makes it appropriate for a modest increase in residential density without requiring additional public facilities or infrastructure expansion. d) The Property subject to rezone was not specifically considered for rezone during last area land use analysis The subject property was not speciflcally considered for a rezone during the most recent area land use analysis or zoning action. The current request represents a site-speciflc evaluation based on present conditions, surrounding development patterns, recent land use and public utility changes, and adopted Comprehensive Plan policies. Project Narrative & Rezone Justification e) The characteristics of development upon the land subject to the rezone application are Compatible with purpose and intent of the proposed zone as well as the zone-specific policy of the proposed zone, as provided by the Comprehensive Plan The purpose and intent of the R10 and R14 zones is as indicated below: RESIDENTIAL-10 (R-10): The Residential-10 (R-10) Zone is established for high-density residential development that will provide a mix of residential styles including small lot detached dwellings or attached dwellings such as townhouses and small-scale flats. Development promoted in the zone is intended to increase opportunities for detached dwellings as a percent of the housing stock, as well as allow some small-scale attached housing choices and to create high-quality infill development that increases density while maintaining the single-family character of the existing neighborhood. The zone serves as a transition to higher density multi-family zones. The R-10 Zone implements the Residential High Density land use designation. (Ord. 5286, 5- 14-2007; Ord. 5520, 12-14-2009; Ord. 5744, 1-12-2015; Ord. 5759, 6-22-2015; Ord. 6160, 6- 16-2025) RESIDENTIAL-14 (R-14): The purpose of the Residential-14 (R-14) Zone is to encourage development, and redevelopment, of residential neighborhoods that provide a mix of detached and attached dwelling structures organized and designed to combine characteristics of both typical single- family and small-scale multi-family developments. Structure size is intended to be limited in terms of bulk and scale so that the various unit types allowed in the zone are compatible with one another and can be integrated together into a quality neighborhood. Project features are encouraged, such as yards for private use, common open spaces, and landscaped areas that enhance a neighborhood and foster a sense of community. Civic and limited commercial uses may be allowed when they support the purpose of the designation. The R-14 Zone implements the Residential High Density land use designation. (Ord. 5286, 5-14-2007; Ord. 5520, 12-14-2009; Ord. 5744, 1-12-2015; Ord. 5759, 6-22-2015; Ord. 6160, 6-16-2025) Both the proposed R-14 zoning and existing R10 zoning are included as appropriate zone designations under the Residential High density (RHD) land use designation of the Comprehensive Plan. Either zone is appropriate in this location, but the R-14 zone and the slightly higher residential density it accommodates is perhaps better suited for the subject location due to its proximity to transit, existing commercial areas, Renton Technical College and major employers located nearby. It makes sense to locate increased density near these types of facilities and uses. Project Narrative & Rezone Justification The applicant notes that the R-10 zone mentions maintaining the single-family character of the neighborhood. There is no single-family neighborhood near or visible from the subject site. The site is an island of developable land surrounded by commercial and civic/employment uses. It is not in a neighborhood of single-family homes. Therefore, it is appropriate to designate the site as R-14 as it will help provide fiexibility to create a stand- alone neighborhood that is compatible with surrounding uses while advancing Comprehensive Plan goals of increased housing opportunity and housing affordability. f) Consistency with the governing Community Plan The subject property is located within the Highlands Community Planning Area, which emphasizes maintaining the stability and character of existing residential areas while accommodating growth in locations served by existing infrastructure and public services. The Highlands Community Plan supports a range of housing types and densities where site conditions, access, and surrounding land uses are appropriate, and where development can provide compatible transitions between varying intensities of use. The proposed rezone to R-14 is consistent with these objectives, as it implements the Residential High Density Comprehensive Plan designation, allows moderate-density residential development appropriate for an area with a mix of residential, commercial, and institutional uses, and relies on existing infrastructure and services. As such, the proposal satisfles consistency with the governing community plan. Conclusion The proposed rezone from Residential-10 to Residential-14 at 301 Monroe Ave NE satisfles the criteria in RMC 4-9-180F.2 and is consistent with the City of Renton Comprehensive Plan. The R-14 designation is anticipated as an appropriate zoning designation by the RHD land use mapping. The zone change from R-10 to R-14 supports efflcient use of existing vacant residential land and provides an appropriate land use transition in an area with a mix of land uses. The site is served by existing infrastructure and includes on-site private open space associated with the City’s stormwater inflltration facility, supporting neighborhood livability and higher density development than the R-10 zone would allow. The rezone represents a reasonable, site-speciflc adjustment appropriate for this site and the surrounding area.